High amp power pack for DCC

[scotchman]

I am new to DCC, and haven't installed the digitraxx starter set I bot, yet. It is a 5 amp unit, DCS100. I have a 14vdc 24 amp power supply. I also have the 15vdc 5amp power supply made by digitrax. Can I hook up either one to the DCS100, or stay with the 15vdc unit? I only have three locos, and probably should use the 24amp unit for switches, lights, etc. Just wonderin' if there is any advantage! Thanks, John 

[rrinker]

 You can use either, but you want a 5 amp fuse on that 24 amp power supply to protect the DCS100.

The 14V DC supply is probably on the low side though, you won;t be able to get 15 volts to the track out of that. The input to the DCS100 takes AC or DC - thus it has diodes or a bridge rectifier on the input, which with a DC input will drop about 1.4 volts. With an AC supply, rectification plus filtering capacitors will result in a voltage HIGHER than the nominal output of the supply. The 14V unit would be fine if you use the N scale track voltage setting.

 If you reserve the 24 amp unit for lights and accessories - run multiple lines with fuses, do NOT run a single set of wires with 24 amps around the layout - 24 amp at 14V is 336 watts - more than 3 100 watt bulbs - aka hot enough to weld, melt things, start fires. Make it kind of like your house wiring - 14V, 24 amps into a distribution panel with multiple fuses leading to multiple circuits restricted to some lower amp level for safety.

               --Randy

 

[jrbernier]

I would just use the 5 amp PS515 power unit. If you use the 24 amp unit, you will need to fuse it or put a fast acting circuit breaker in-line between the power supply & the DCS100.

Jim

[scotchman]

Thanks To Randy and Jim!!  John